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Chapter 113: Rocketing to Earth
Flash Gordon (serial) Synopsis At the last moment, Flash Gordon, Dale, Dr. Hans Zarkov, Princess Aura, and King Vultan escape through a trap door into the tunnels. Ming watches through the Spaceograph, and believes that Flash and his friends have been killed. He laughs as Prince Barin is dragged away to a cell. Vultan is injured, and the others help him to walk. They come to the dungeons, where they find Barin being taken to a cell. Flash smacks the guard in the face, and the friends all run off to Ming's laboratory. Officer Torch report to Ming that the Earth people are holed up in the laboratory. Ming orders them caught and killed. Zarkov rigs up a machine that electrifies the door to the laboratory, baffling Ming's soldiers. Ming orders the electricity cut off, leaving the Earth people helpless. Ming's soldiers capture the party, just as Prince Thun and the Lion Men, attack the palace from the air. Flash and his friends are forced to watch on the Spaceograph as Ming's forces battle with the Lion Men's Space Gyros. Thun and the Lion Men gain entry to the palace, and everybody fights in the throne room. Ming rushes off and makes his escape as the free-for-all breaks out. The High Priest lets Ming into the temple of the Great God Tao, and disappears in a cloud of steam. The High Priest tells Flash and Aura that no one returns from the palace; Ming is dead. Zarkov radios to Earth, and tells Lawrence Gordon and Professor Hensley that they're returning. Flash, Dale and Zarkov say goodbye to Aura, the new ruler of Mongo. Meanwhile, the High Priest smuggles something aboard Zarkov's rocket ship. Flash, Dale and Zarkov say goodbye to Aura, who has been crowned the new ruler of Mongo. They also say farewell to their friends Thun, Barin and Vultan. Zarkov's ship blasts off, and the High Priest reveals that he's placed a bomb on the rocket. Barin, Aura, Vultan and Thun rush to radio the ship, warning them about the bomb. Flash finds the bomb, and opens a hatch to throw it out of the ship just in time. They radio back the good news; they're safe, and on their way. Everybody on Earth is very excited about the rocket ship returning; the front page of The Daily Sentinel announces the imminent landing. Zarkov tells Flash and Dale that they're about to land, and Flash and Dale kiss. Trivia *In chapter 9, Aura plans to take Flash through the tunnel to the palace of Great God Tao, where they'll be safe. In this chapter, the High Priest says that anybody who goes to Tao's palace never returns, and the implication is that Ming dies in the flames. Is that the same palace that Aura was trying to reach? *It's not clear what Ming's intentions are at the end of the chapter, or what happens to him. Is he trying to escape? Does the High Priest kill him? Science Fiction Serials says, "Ming's forces are overwhelmed and the defeated tyrant commits suicide by walking into a flaming corridor below his palace." However, the interaction between Ming and the High Priest seems to indicate that Ming is trying to get away, and the High Priest decides to kill him. *Why does the High Priest plant a bomb in Zarkov's rocket ship? He facilitated Ming's death in the tunnel, so there doesn't seem to be a reason for him to seek revenge after the fact. **It is possible that the High Priest knew Ming was going to commit suicide and wanted to avenge his death. Ming's body language, before walking into the flames, indicated that he was preparing for death. **Another reason could be the death of the Fire dragon in Chapter 110: The Unseen Peril. The High Priest said killing the dragon was sacrilege. **In Chapter 109: Fighting the Fire Dragon, Chapter 110: The Unseen Peril, and Chapter 111: In the Claws of the Tigron; the High Priest alternated between aiding Ming or Aura. That leaves confusion about his true allegiance. Cast *Flash Gordon: Buster Crabbe *Dale Arden: Jean Rogers *Dr. Hans Zarkov: Frank Shannon *Ming the Merciless: Charles Middleton *Princess Aura: Priscilla Lawson *Prince Barin: Richard Alexander *King Vultan: John Lipson *Prince Thun: James Pierce *Officer Torch: Earl Askam *High Priest: Theodore Lorch *Lawrence Gordon: Richard Tucker *Professor Hensley: George Cleveland Sources *''Science Fiction Serials'', Roy Kinnard, McFarland & Company, Inc., 1998. p. 36. Gallery Category:Serials Chapters